Let It Go
by Rainbows28
Summary: That felt a bit too intimate. The kind of intimacy he should only be showing my sister; his girlfriend – not me. He reeled back and blinked at me. In the lighting flash of the movie, I could have sworn I saw his cheeks hint pink. He looked away and straightened. I don't think either of us caught any more of the film. AH. AU. Possible Triggers.
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Hi, everyone! This is a story that I've been messing around with for a little bit now and I've decided to share it with you all. I know that I have others, but writer's block is a serious bitch. I'm still trying to fight it off, but until then this is what I got :)**

 **There is some triggers in here, so tread carefully. Innuendos of sexual abuse and an anxiety disorder. So, if you're not into that, I would tread carefully or just skip this all together.**

 **There is also angst, but it's fast past with Buffy and Angel's relationship.**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN nothing. So if you recognize it, it's not mine :)**

 **Please give me your feedback and enjoy the story!**

* * *

I have the insane urge to laugh. I don't even know why. A memory that I've already forgotten again surfaced in my mind a moment ago; leaving behind this unexplainable need to just laugh. The problem was that I was in the middle of third period English class. Everyone was quietly reading a book and I was the loner chick who never talked. So, you see my predicament.

It also hurts. Holding in laughter. Makes your eyes water and blood to rush to your face, like a pressure, or a foot standing on your face from the inside. My grin couldn't be stopped. I covered my mouth with my fingers while resting my chin in the palm of my hand. After a few moments of excruciating embarrassing torment that no one, but myself took notice to. I calmed down and the urge to laugh disappeared with my grin.

I tried to go back to reading the play _Romeo + Juliet_ , but I've already read it more times than I'd like to admit. Not to mention the section the class was currently one was boring as hell. Mercutio was describing dreams to Romeo and the poor man just rants on and on about superficial imaginations, and superstitions. Seriously, a simple, 'I do not believe in dreams, good Romeo.' Would have sufficed.

My perfectly French manicured nails with black polished tips tapped silently against the worn paper of the book. My sister, Dawn, had practically dragged me kicking and screaming all the way to the mall. And even when she got me to the nail salon, she had to practically bribe me with cake to get me to step foot inside.

I was antisocial, you see. In a bad anxiety disorder bearing kind of way. I got panic attacks about as often as the normal person blinked and social encounters weren't exactly my thing. Actually, they weren't my thing. Period. End of story. Dawn, head cheerleader and town sweetheart _loved_ social gatherings. The bigger the better.

She was beautiful and kind. Her social group didn't prejudice against anyone except bullies. She was a fucking bleeding heart and a backwards cliché. I adored her. I also had her to thank for my bully-free high school years. Eighth grade without her was a bitch and I can still taste the laughter of those girls that day in the bathroom. I quickly shook those thoughts away and leaned back, crossing my arms over my chest.

"When I call your name come up and get your graded test." Ms. Peck says without looking up from her desk. The normal kids around me probably didn't think much of it. The shy ones were probably navigating and calculating each precise movement they would make in the journey to her desk and back. Me? I had stopped breathing. The only thing I could think about was the stares of those all around me. Leering at me as I walked the ten feet distance and then back again.

It seemed so long and endless. I gripped the sides of my desk and bit my tongue so hard that I tasted blood, but the pain it surely caused was numb. I couldn't get up to get my paper. I just fucking couldn't. It would kill me. I would trip or make a noise when I stood up. They would all think I was fat because of these creaky old desks.

Just as I was about ready to self-combust, a sheet of paper slid on my desk. I glanced up, only catching the back of the boy who set it in front of me. Angel O'Conner, star quarterback and town golden boy. Dawn's boyfriend. I wet my lips and looked down to see that the sheet of paper was my test. Relief flooded me so roughly that it brought tears to my eyes.

I looked up at the back of Angel's head; the back of the head of the boy I had been in love with since elementary school and tried not to sob. Because that would be overwhelmingly embarrassing. Those levels of humiliation would have stayed with me to my grave and whatever lay beyond. Angel glanced back at me and we locked eyes for a moment. That was all it took for the gratitude to be shared, then he looked away. Taking those gorgeously handsome features and startlingly green eyes away from my line of sight.

Angel and I had been friends since I was eight and he was nine. He found me crying at the bus stop one morning because I had missed the bus and was far too afraid to walk because of traffic. Yet, still too afraid to go back home and tell my mom – for fear that she would become upset. It was a stupid fear, but one that crippled me nonetheless. From that day on, Angel O'Conner walked me to school every morning. Until his first year in high school when he and Dawn started dating.

My sister never knew my infatuation with Angel. I wasn't saying this because I was naïve and only thought highly of my sister. I resented her relationship with Angel, but I am being honest when I say she doesn't know that I'm in love with him. I've never been anything other than supportive towards their relationship.

My father used to describe me as a chameleon. Because I was so very talented at hiding my own feelings it was as if I was gifted in the art of camouflage. Why do I do this, you ask? Well, because guys like Angel don't go for girls like me. Yes, roll your eyes at the cliché line, but it's true. He's the guy always in the spotlight. The one who _likes_ going out on Friday nights. The one who _likes_ hanging out with friends. The one who doesn't flinch at the mention of sexual intercourse.

He's the guy who falls in love with girls like Dawn. Cute, glitzy, and bubbly. And girls like me are reserved for sisterly roles. The best friends. One of the 'guys'. I had come to terms with this fact long ago, but it still never ceased to calm the ache in my chest or the tickle in my throat whenever I saw them together.

The bell rang jarring me from my depressing thoughts. I stood up slower than what was necessary and made a show of packing up my things, so that when I did go out into the hall I wasn't thrust into a sea of scurrying bodies. I got my bag over my shoulder and opened my mouth to say goodbye to Ms. Peck, but I stopped short at the sight of Angel leaning merely two feet away from me.

"Hey, Buffy." He says, smiling with those perfect white teeth and that perfect crooked smile, which always seemed to melt my brain into jelly.

"Hi." I say, quickly averting my eyes. Out of habit than anything else. Eye contact was a no. Physical contact was a no. Crowds were a no. God, I was just one big, fat no!

"Are you comin' to the party tonight?" He asks and I frowned.

"Uh, no." I say, meeting his gaze with a look that said I was questioning his sanity. He shrugged.

"Thought I'd ask, anyway." He murmurs, cracking his knuckles. He had large palms and long elegant fingers made for throwing a football. Or playing the piano or bringing a woman to climax. I'm sure he's done all three in his lifetime. I try not to think about the fact that the third activity would occur with my sister. I scowl. Sometimes, I think my own brain is against me.

"You should come." He says, after a beat and I shrug.

"Is Dawn going?" I ask. I wasn't asking because I wanted to be alone with him. I'd never do that to Dawn, ever. Even if he offered. I'd most likely slap him, or become a stuttering mess of vowel sounds before running away very fast in the opposite direction.

"Yeah." He chewed on his bottom lip and I nodded. I flashed him a smile solely reserved for three people on this planet – Dawn, my mom, and him – before walking around his massive frame, and out the door of the classroom.

"Buffy!" Angel called bringing his six foot five frame toward me. I should scream. I should feel something close to fear. The boy was huge. Far larger than any normal eighteen year old. God, he possessed muscles which should only exist on a fit man in his late twenties to early thirties. I wondered briefly if he ever took advantage of his appearance. Getting into overage clubs or buying alcoholic beverages.

I wasn't afraid of him, though. I didn't know if I could be.

"I'm not jokin', by the way. You should come. To the party, I mean. Get out there and social. Perhaps, date." He shrugs and I freeze mid-step. The image of me with my foot extended to catch my fall frozen in mid-air must have been extremely comical to any onlooker.

"D-date?" I squeak out in a stuttering whisper that will forever haunt me. He smiled, sheepishly. Or perhaps bitterly. I couldn't honestly tell. You know, it could have been a combination of the two emotions.

"Yeah. You're seventeen and I think Riley Beers likes you a lot." He admits, his eyes scanning any place in the hallway that wasn't me. If he really didn't want to talk to me that much, he could have just walked away. I wasn't one for conversation. And I was still trying to get my heart and soul untwined from his grasp. A grasp he didn't even know he held with all his might.

"I don't like Riley and I don't do parties. You know that." I remind him, finally putting both of my feet on the ground and turning to face him.

"C'mon, Buffy. You're beautiful. You shouldn't rob the world of seein' you. I'll pick you up." His voice was a bit muggy. I couldn't honestly hear the words his full mouth was making.

 _You're beautiful. You shouldn't rob the world of seein' you._

Did he actually say that or was I just imagining it? Because if I was just imagining it. I was going to take a hammer to my head, just to show my brain how much hurt it would have caused with a betrayal like that. "You think I'm beautiful?" It was out of my mouth before I could stop it. I realized that I needed to get out of this conversation and get to gym class. But, I was rooted to my spot.

Angel froze mid-sentence and cast me a double take. He watched me for a moment, before swallowing. "Yeah, c'mon, Buffy. You know you are." He says, nudging me playfully. I didn't. My nose burned and my eyes became wet. He tensed and I turned, walking away and ignoring the call of my name.

No man or boy or anyone other than Dawn and my mom had ever called me beautiful. They were biased. I knew that Angel was Dawn's boyfriend, but he was already super nice to me. He didn't need to give me compliments like that.

 _You're beautiful._

His voice continued to reverberate around in my brain throughout the rest of the day. By the time lunch arrived I was emotionally exhausted. It was hard loving someone and knowing without a doubt that they would never love you back. The pain was excruciating. The rejection was deafening. Dawn and Angel sat together at their usual table surrounded by the friends they've both had since preschool.

I barely made it to the lunch line before Xander, my one and only real friend, appeared at my side. He was engrossed in the middle a Harry Potter book. I didn't bother seeing which one he was reading this week. He seemed to be constantly reading them. It was amusing and cute at the same time.

Xander was about five eleven and scrawny with long limbs that he hadn't grown into yet. His hair was a pale brown and his eyes were a strange shade of grey that I knew would one day become beautiful. He was antisocial. Not horribly shy like me, but not much better, either. His was just never medically diagnosed.

We'd been friends since birth and I couldn't remember a time when I didn't have Xander. He knew everything about me. From my father's abuse to my love for Angel. Life with Xander would be great. He was loyal as a puppy, quiet and cute. A silent kind of handsome that many took for granted. If my life continued on the course it was on, I'd probably end up marrying him.

Sure, it wouldn't be some passionate affair with fireworks and endless love. But it would be comfortable and quiet. Steady. That was what life was all about, right? Routine. God, I sounded boring to my own ears. Life with Xander was most likely my definite ending, but that didn't mean it wasn't also a personal hell.


	2. Chapter 2

Dawn glared at me as she stood at the end of my bed, hands on her hips, and clad in only underwear. "You're going!" She exclaims for the billionth time and I ignore her for the billionth time. I was in the middle of The Great Gatsby when she waltzed into my room, practically naked, and informed me that I would be accompanying her to the party.

It was bullshit, because it wasn't going to happen. But she was oddly persistent. "Please, Buffy! Just put on some cute jeans and a tank top. Show off that flawless body for yours! Please." She whined and bounced. Her perky breasts bouncing slightly in the confines of her bra.

I blinked at them and then glanced down at mine. They were pretty big, my boobs. Not that this was amazing. They jiggled when I ran and they got unwanted attention from boys. I stuck to wearing sports bras to push down the full, rounded C-cups that I acquired from my mother.

Dawn and I held some similarities. We were both tall, but she stood at five foot nine while I stood at five foot six. She was slim with a dancer's body, while I held curves. Don't get me wrong, I wasn't overweight in the least. At one-hundred and nineteen pounds one could say I should gain some weight. But my thighs were shapelier and my waist was noticeable against my hips.

We both held the same shade of golden blonde hair, but hers fell to her waist straight as bone and mine fell to my collarbones in loose waves. Her features were sharp and her eyes a crystal green while mine were doll-like with full lips, small straight nose, and wide baby blue eyes that even I couldn't deny were pretty.

We were sisters and our physical similarities were few and far between, but our social similarities didn't even exist on the same plane of existence. I closed my book and tossed it to the side. "Why do you and Angel want me to go to this party so damn much?" I mutter, running my hands through my hair.

"Because, it's our senior year and next year we're both going to be off to college and we just want to hang out some. Please." She pouted and crawled on my bad, resting her head against my stomach. I scowled and glanced down at her puppy dog eyes.

"I'll be your best friend." She bats her eye lashes and I rolled my eyes.

"Fine, but I'm not staying long." I warn and she nods, jumping up like a five year old on Christmas.

"Okay, love you, bye!" She chirps and bounces from my room. I sigh, heavily and climb out of bed before slipping out of my sweats and t-shirt. I sigh, heavily again and then cast a glare toward my ceiling, but directing it at the heavens. What did they have against me? Seriously.

I pulled on a pair of blue panties and a white cotton padded bra. Then, I slipped a burgundy tank top on along with a pair of black skinny jeans that had zippers on the hips. I left my hair as it was and slipped on a pair of black flats. After grabbing my phone, I made my way downstairs.

Angel was in a conversation with my mother and stepfather when I hit the bottom step. His eyes danced over to me and his words seemed to falter before completely stopping as he just stared. Joyce and Giles looked up at me before sharing a glance.

"Hey." Angel says and I glanced at him before walking into the kitchen, barely murmuring a hello.

I grabbed a bottle of water from the fridge and walked back into the living room. The air seemed tenser. Great, nice job, Buffy. I sighed and sat down, patiently waiting for Dawn. "So, where are you kids off to tonight?" Giles asked and I glanced over at him before away, desperately trying to keep the paranoia from my mind.

"Movies." Angel shrugged and my gaze looked up at him, sharply. His eyes met mine and he smiled.

"Change of plans. We're meetin' a couple friends for movies." He shrugs and I felt my throat tighten. I took a longer gulp of water and swallowed it slowly. Only breathing when it was all down my throat.

"Awesome." I mutter, digging my keys into the palm of my hand. Dawn jumps down the steps a bit later. Angel stood up and walked over to her. I kept a blank stare on my face as I took another sip of water. He kissed her cheek.

"You look great." He smiled and she smiled back at him. I frowned. I hated this room. I hated them at the moment, too and then I hated myself for these emotions. Dawn did look great in her white dress and jean jacket. Endless legs on full display. She smiled at me before telling mom and Giles that we'd be back by midnight, to which I informed them that I would be back closer to ten.

Mom gave me a lenient curfew and I gave her a glare that could have rivaled the burn of the sun until she sternly told me to be back by eleven. Then we left. The drive to the theater consisted of Dawn filling in the silence with meaningless chatter as Angel and I gave noises of approval when needed. Angel was a bit more coming in the sense that he formed words. Sometimes, I didn't even respond.

My mind was going blank and my body was already exhausted by the time we got to the movies. I noticed something as we came up to three people. Ramie Everson and Scott Peters were together and had been since junior high. Riley Beers, who was single, was alone. Angel and Dawn were together. So, Riley and I were playing fifth and sixth wheel or I was being set up on a date.

"Hey!" Ramie exclaimed enthusiastically and the friends exchanged pleasantries as Riley slid his way to my side.

"Hey, Buffy." He smiled and I gave him a glance.

"Oh, uh, hi." I say and nearly face palm myself. Was it so fucking difficult for me to only say one pleasantry? Just one. Just _once_. Riley merely smiled and then we were walking up to the ticket counter.

"Six for _All My Love_." Ramie says the boys roll their eyes while I calculated how long it would take for me to run in the opposite direction.

"Xander!" I exclaimed and they all jumped, because yes, that was probably the loudest they've ever heard me speak.

"I saw Xander." I say to them and they all look around or blink at me.

"Oh, look, he's driving away." My sister deadpans and I glare at her. The rest, apart from Angel, seem to laugh it off.

"You're funny, Buffy." Scott says, wrapping an arm around Ramie before leading us all inside. I never wished I'd seen someone more in my life than I did at this moment.

Popcorn and drink money was passed around until I somehow had a bag of popcorn and a drink shoved in my hand. Then, we were walking toward the theater number reserved for this movie we were seeing. I had already forgotten the name. We sat down next to our designed partners. Ramie and Dawn wanted to sit next to each other, so somehow the dynamic ended in Riley sitting on the outside, then it was me, then it was Angel, then Dawn, Ramie, and finally Scott on the other end. I held my drink and popcorn tensely.

"I thought you liked movies." Angel murmured and I glanced at him, feeling my throat tighten.

"Not around people." I hiss and he blinks.

"So, have you seen this one before?" Riley asked, cutting Angel and me off completely. For once, I didn't mind. I was angry with him. Angel and I were friends. It was a friendship that wasn't born out of his relationship with my sister. And he knew, probably better than most people, that I didn't like crowds. I also didn't like lying or deceiving and he'd done both.

"Uh, no. I like romantic comedies." I say and Riley gave me a double take as Angel cleared his throat while grinning next to me.

"This is a romantic comedy." Riley says and I stared at him for a minute before looking away.

"Well, okay. I meant tearjerkers. I also like other movies." I mumble, feeling my cheeks flame in embarrassment. Riley nods, slowly at me, as if I were an invalid. I glance to see Angel's reaction, but all he's doing is watching me. Not judgement, just . . . something I couldn't read. I set my drink down and handed Riley my popcorn. He had no problem digging in.

I clasped my hands in my lap and swallowed, hard. The movie started and I couldn't seem to relax. I glanced around at all of the people and felt my throat tighten. The movie was about long lost lovers finding their way back to each other. I barely heard the actors speaking after about twenty minutes in.

My eyes danced over and I noticed that Dawn was holding Angel's hand and resting her head on his shoulder. I looked away, ignoring the stab of stupid jealousy. Annoyance suddenly hit me. I was pissed. Why in the fucking hell did this guy – a guy who would _never_ like me like that – affect me this way? Haven't I been controlled enough by the male species?

I glanced at Riley and noticed that he was on his phone. I frowned, slightly at that. Now, I wasn't upset about the fact that he was ignoring both me and the movie. I was upset because it was just common curtesy to turn your phone off in the movie theater. Others actually paid to watch it. I didn't have the balls to tell him to turn it off.

About halfway in, something happened that had all the girls in the theater bursting into sobs and clutching their significant others. I frowned and glanced around, even some men had tears in their eyes. Um . . . what happened? I glanced at Angel, to see him staring down at me.

My sister was holding onto his bicep, but Angel's attention, his complete attention, was on me. Angel bent more my way and Dawn turned without even batting an eyelash to cling to Ramie. "You're not upset?" He asked, softly and I blinked.

"Um . . . should I be?" I asked and a slow smile curves his lips.

"Well, the baby just died, so . . ." he trailed off and my eyes whip to the screen. There was a baby? And it died? What kind of horrible movie puts that on screen? Wasn't the point of movies to escape reality? I scowled and looked back at Angel. His eyes were on my neck and he was close enough that I could feel his hot breath against my skin. It tingled where it touched. Like a caress, unspoken and unreal, but igniting a very real need inside me.

A need to actually feel his caress. A need to feel his lips on me and his breath everywhere – anywhere on my body. I wet my lips and edged away from him. I wasn't stupid or naïve. That felt a bit too intimate. The kind of intimacy he should only be showing my _sister_ ; his _girlfriend_ – not me. To break the hypnotizing pull he had over me, I cast him an annoyed glare. He reeled back and blinked at me. In the lighting flash of the movie, I could have sworn I saw his cheeks hint pink. He looked away and straightened. I don't think either of us caught the rest of the movie.


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: HI guys! Not a very long chapter, but still a chapter!**

 **Thank you to those who have reviewed! Keep 'em coming! :)**

 **Disclaimer: I OWN Nothing!**

 **Feedback is loved and cherished**

 **Happy Reading . . .**

* * *

"Let's get ice cream!" Ramie suggested on a giggle as we walked out into the cool autumn air. It was about nine thirty and all I wanted to do, was go home and read a book. Listen to some music. Was this too much to ask?

"Sure." Everyone was in agreement. Riley and Scott were talking frantically about some new video game as Ramie and Dawn talked about prom. Angel hung back with me and I glanced at him.

"Sorry, about in there, earlier." He says, grasping the back of his neck. I cast him a glance.

"What?" I ask and he glanced at me.

"Uh-." I cut him off.

"I don't know what you're talking about." I say giving him a chance to just drop it. His lips twitch, but he nods.

"You don't like Riley." He comments, slowly.

"Just now getting that, I see. Only took you, lying, deceiving and kidnapping me." I say, casually as I stare at the wall we walk by.

"You went of your own free will. I didn't call for ransom." He went along with my little overreaction of the entire situation. I smiled softly at that.

"You know I don't like movie theaters, Angel. You know that. You also know that I don't like boys or dating. So, who pressed you to do it?" I asked and he scowled, looking away from me and scratching his chin with his thumb nail.

"No one pressed me." he snapped and I flinched at his tone. Stilling my steps. He turned to face me, placing a hand on the wall next to us to either block me in or block me from view. Maybe both. He glanced behind him and took notice of the distracted four ahead of us before turning back to me.

"Goddammit, Buffy. Is wantin' you to date so fuckin' bad?" He seethed.

"Don't, talk to me like that, Angel." I snap, feeling my self-preservation rise like a phoenix out of the ashes.

We glare at each other and he releases his first. He looks at his hand before back at me with a guarded expression. "Don't you feel lonely livin' in your own little world, all the time?" He asked, his body shaking with barely restrained fury. I met his gaze head-on.

"Don't you feel powerless living in other's peoples worlds?" I returned and he swallowed, his eyes dipped down to my lips before immediately snapping back up to my own.

"I just want you to find someone." He says, shrugging and something inside me forced the words out. I won't ever understand why I said them or what courage filled me long enough to get them out, but I do know, that I believed them without a single shadow of a doubt.

"Or maybe you think that if I'm in a relationship you'll stop noticing me come down the stairs." I say and his straightens. His arm drops to his side and all emotion leaves his body.

"I love Dawn." He says and I stare at him. For the first time I actually doubted him. I couldn't believe it. Had his eyes always been so shuttered when he uttered those words? Had he always looked so guilty afterwards?

"I just want you to be happy, Buffy." He says, in a monotone kind of way. My eyes narrow.

"Maybe you should focus on the sister you're actually fucking." I bit out, walking around him before I could die of embarrassment or truly process the words that just came out of my mouth.

I arrived at the ice cream shop and Dawn gave me a confused look. "Hey, where'd you two go?" She asked, smiling as she hugged Angel around the waist.

"I tried to bribe him into taking me home. It didn't work out." I lied and her eyebrow cocked, completely believing. She really didn't have a reason not to. Dawn really didn't know me. No one did. Maybe Xander. Maybe even Angel, but Dawn – god she was so blind.

•••

Partners. They were my second greatest school fear, besides class presentations. I physically couldn't believe it. I was going to just sit down and not get up and try to mingle.

Angel sat next to me. "Partners?" He asked, without looking at me and I shrugged, nodding in agreement.

God, why did this boy bring me so much grief yet enough relief to counteract that at the same time? "Alright class I'm going to come around and have you pick out a name from this hat. Each slip of paper holds the name of a character from the play we are currently reading." Ms. Peck informs us and I scowl.

"Then, you'll create a presentation. A poster, a slide-show, etc." She waves her hand dismissively and passes the hat around.

"We got Romeo." Angel says and I ignored him.

"Listen, we can do a poster and you can hold it up while I present it – okay?" He asked and I ignored him, again. He crossed his arms and his knee started to bounce.

"Are we in a fight?" He hissed and I continued to ignore him.

"Fuckin' hell, Buffy. Would you grow up?" He seethed and I glared at him.

"Why don't you bite me?" I snapped, quietly and he leaned back. There was this blank stare that he gave me. His mouth moved as if he were saying something, but I couldn't make out anything past the vowel sounds.

"What?" I asked, confused.

"I would, but I have a feelin' we'd both like it too much." He snapped and my body went rigid. The entire class was distracted with different things and it was as if we were alone. So, I didn't have a problem leaning closer and glaring.

"Dawn." I seethe.

"What. About. Her?" He hissed and I bit my tongue.

"No." He growled, leaning in close. Far closer than what I considered socially acceptable.

"What about her, Buffy? Why do you keep sayin' her name whenever we're alone together, eh? Afraid that if we don't keep reminding ourselves who my girlfriend is that we'll just forget?" he asked and I looked away.

"You're arrogant and cocky and insufferable." I snarled. He flashed me a smile, it wasn't his normal one. Although, it looked familiar. Really familiar. It had just never been directed at me. What caught my attention was how forced it seemed – how fake. It was the same one he gave to . . . everyone. Even Dawn. I frowned.

"Don't smile at me like that." I breathe and he blinks, it dropped from his face.

"You don't feel happy, then don't smile. Don't ever fake that with me again." I say. I felt oddly betrayed. He looked away from me, sharply and I stared at him. Then I looked away and neither of us spoke for the remainder of the bell.


	4. Chapter 4

"Buffy!"

Riley called as he jogged to catch up with me. I was in gym class, the only other class besides English that I had with a few seniors. Riley, Angel, Dawn, and Scott happened to be in it as well. I glanced back at Riley and he smiled at me.

"Hi!" He exclaimed, rather enthusiastically. I continued walking without returning any pleasantries.

"Listen, I had a great time the other night and I wanted to know how you felt about doing it one on one, just you and me." He shocked me. He had a great time? He barely said ten words to me and he acted as though I were insane when he did.

"I don't know." I came up to a group that held Angel and Dawn.

"C'mon." Was he seriously whining? I blinked at him.

"There's a party tonight – an actual party. You should come with me." Riley suggests and the group turns to look at us. Dawn was grinning and nearly bouncing. I scratched my wrist and stared at Riley.

"Okay." I say. Not because I wanted to go or because I was trying to get a rise out of Angel. I just physically couldn't say no. He grinned and then he kissed my cheek. I flinched and walked away. Not really understanding why in the hell he just touched me. Dawn jogged and caught up with me.

"Hey, listen, I have something I gotta tell you." She says, biting her bottom lip and I hum.

"Really? Did you pay him with cash or credit?" I ask and she rolls her eyes.

"He really likes you, but no that's not what I want to talk about. Angel broke up with me." She says and I froze, before mechanically turning to face her with a blank, emotionless stare. This was actually _good_. I was a bit pissed that Angel might have hurt my sister, but if he wasn't around as much, maybe I had the chance to finally get over him.

"I'm sorry, are you okay?" I ask and she nods, waving her hand.

"Yeah." Her eyebrows were furrowed in confusion.

"I really am. You know, I don't even really think he ever loved me. I mean, he didn't really like showing affection or any other type of romance." She shrugs and I bit my tongue. My stomach was churning and I wanted to go crawl under a rock, because while these things were actually a bit relieving to me – I didn't want to hear them.

"Did you love him?" I asked and she met my gaze, before running a hand through her hair.

"Maybe. I don't know. To be completely honest, at times it didn't even feel like dating. Just a titled friendship and even then we had our own lives." Her eyes were glued on mine and she looked nearly inquisitive. She looked away and chewed on her bottom lip.

"Can I ask you a question?" She asks while cracking her knuckles and I shrugged.

"Sure." I allow, because anyone can do anything. Whether or not I would answer this question is still meant to be seen.

"Did I? . . . goddammit, okay." She laughed, slightly.

"Did I ever . . . hurt you, with my relationship with Angel?" She asks and I don't bother to even blink.

"No." My voice cracks. Shit! Why?! What the fuck is the matter with me?! I've lied, my entire life! Damn you, Angel! Her shoulders slumped and she grips my biceps.

"Fuck, Buffy, I'm not in love with him. If you would have asked me not to go out with him, I wouldn't have. I swear it." She says and I move away from her and shrug.

"It doesn't matter. God, we're literally one year in age difference. If he wanted me, he could have just asked." I shrug.

"It doesn't matter." I repeat and she was clutching her chest. She looked so fucking guilty.

"Please, don't. God, Dawn, I was never . . . I'm fine. It's fine." I assure her and she swallows, thickly. The whistle was blown and I glance behind me.

"I have to go, I'll see you at home, okay?" I don't wait for an answer before I turn and sprint toward the locker room.

()()()

Dawn watched her sister run off and felt guilt claw at her stomach. Buffy tried so hard to always hide everything and anything. From her emotions, to the abuse she suffered at the hands of their father. What Buffy didn't know, was that Dawn was fully aware of what she went through as a kid.

Her mother had told her when she turned sixteen after her continuous complaining of how antisocial Buffy was. Dawn hadn't done it to be mean. Shame filled her whenever she remembered her bitching. Dawn had known that Buffy and Angel were friends, but Buffy was so good at hiding whatever she was feeling that Dawn didn't think much of it.

A primal protectiveness overcame her as she stormed over to Angel. She shoved him, "Fuck off!" She yelled at his group of friends and their eyes widened, but they immediately scurried away.

"When did you fall for her?" She growled, feeling tears fill her eyes. Angel stared at her with his typical emotionless eyes. God, how could she have been so blind? She would have married this guy. A guy that didn't love her. A guy that didn't even want her. A guy that was completely and irrevocably in love with her sister. She slapped him, but she wanted to feel the sting.

"Fuck you." She said and Angel looked down at her, sucking his teeth.

"Why didn't you just go out with Buffy? Fucking hell, Angel, she would have said yes. You two would have been happy and I wouldn't have become the fucking obstacle bitch that you both grew to hate!" She yelled.

"We don't hate you, Dawn and I didn't go out with Buffy because she's been fucked over enough in her life – that last thing she needed was me. I destroy everythin' I touch, just look at the both of us." He snapped and Dawn stared at him, her head slightly cocked.

"Angel, you can't destroy something that's already broken. Although, I suppose seeing someone you're in love with pretending to love your sister isn't exactly good for a non-existent ego." She hissed and went to storm away from him, but he stopped her.

"I went out with you to be close to her. At first, I didn't except anything of it. I just wanted to get to know her more. I mean, she's already my best friend, but I wanted _more_ , because I'm selfish. It was only supposed to last until I could get up the courage to ask her out, but then you said you loved me. I felt like an asshole. So, I stayed. I've fucked up more times in the past three years than my father has in the past eighteen." Angel murmurs the last part almost to himself.

"Your father?" Dawn was confused. She supposed she should be pissed or at least a little hurt at his scheming, she was neither. Angel never spoke of his family, so she had no idea what he meant by that last part.

"Okay, so you did a kid thing. You made a mistake. That's okay, I'm not hurt, but Buffy doesn't think you can like her like that; let alone that you do. Now, we've set her up with Riley. God, you motherfucker." She snaps at him.

"Nice going. She doesn't even like him and you do this because you what? Wanted her to become completely inaccessible to you? So you wouldn't hurt me?" She demanded and he shrugged, not meeting her gaze.

"Well, yeah. I knew that if I hurt you, she would never forgive me." He says and she flicks him off.

"I'm feeling a bit hurt, now. So, just stop talking so I can think." She says and Angel leans against the wall.

"I got it." She grins and he gives her a look.

"Got what?" He asks.

"A way for you to finally confess your undying love to Buffy without both of you ending in a _Romeo + Juliet_ kind of way." She shrugs and Angel blinks.

"Romeo and Juliet confessed their undying love." Angel comments and Dawn glared.

"Do you want my help or not?" She snapped and he bit the inside of his cheek.

"I do."

()()()

I stared at Dawn as she bounced around me like a butterfly. Then I looked back into the mirror. I wore a pair of white skinny jeans that were so tight, it took me ten minutes just to put them on. Luckily they were a solid white and my panties weren't on display. Although, I'm sure Dawn would have preferred it with the way she was acting.

My shirt was a tight, black tank top which cinched at my waist and hugged my breasts. I fidget my hands before biting my nail. Dawn did my hair and even forced me to put on some mascara. I looked . . . nice. My hair fell in soft waves to my collarbones and it shone like silk against the light.

"Dawn, I really don't want to make an impression like this to Riley. I don't like him like that." I say, shaking my head at her. She waves her hand.

"Don't worry, I got your back and so does Angel, if Riley tries something you even remotely don't like, we'll be on him like gum on a shoe." She assures and I glance to the side.

"Is that a saying?" I ask.

"Get your shoes on and let's go!" She cheers, ignoring my question. I sigh and slip into the black and brown sandals before following her out. Mom gives us a lenient curfew and I say my goodbyes. By the time we get to the house, I was already ready to leave. This place was crawling with people. There wasn't a spot around that wasn't filled with drunken or buzzed teenagers.

"Dawn, I don't like this." I say, hesitantly and she wraps her arms around my bicep and leads me inside.

"Don't worry, I'll be by your side all night long." She assures me, seriously and I frown, but don't object when she yanks me around. I was greeted by nameless faces and cheery, drunk smiles until finally we ended up in the living room. The music wasn't as loud here and there were less people.

"Hey, just in time." Riley smiled at me and then brought me into a hug. To which I immediately backed away from, only to collide into a wall. I turn and see a man standing there. He was holding two bottles of beer in each hand and smiling carefully down at me. He walked around me and I turned again, only to come face to face with Riley.

"That's Reed, my brother." He shrugs and I swallow, but nod. I sit in the group next to Dawn and Riley, across from Angel who was in a conversation with a pretty brunette. When I sat down, his eyes landed on me and he smiled. Crooked and real. I watched his lips fall back into that emotionless line as he looked back at the brunette.

"Alright, everyone knows the game of truth or dare, but let's shake it up a bit." Reed grinned and everyone held onto his words, especially the girls. Some I recognized from the cheerleading squad, others were just the extroverts of high school. Making a name for themselves along with hundreds of friends.

"For every truth you don't do, you have to take a shot. For every dare you don't do, you have to remove a piece of clothing." Reed grinned and whistles erupted. I went to stand, but Dawn held onto my hand and gave me a pleading look. I settled back down, but the tension didn't leave my body.


	5. Chapter 5

A few rounds went by and I wasn't picked for anything, until it was Riley's turn. "Truth or dare, Buffy." He grinned and I blinked at him.

"Um, truth." I say and he nods, rubbing his hands together like this was some malevolent moment.

"When and where did you lose your virginity?" He asked, Angel growled and my sister cursed him out. Riley and Reed settled everyone down and I glanced down at the shots. I could lie. I mean, I could. I could also take the damned shot and try to lose some of the tension in my body.

I grabbed a shot of tequila and downed it. The taste was bitter and it stung going down. I frowned at the empty glass and then looked at my sister.

"Why do you drink that stuff?" I ask and snickers erupted from the guys around us. She shrugs.

"I usually stick with Vodka when doing a shot." She says.

"It's thick and gross." I mumble, dropping the glass and trying to get the taste out of my mouth. Angel handed me a red cup and in all honestly, it could have held battery acid for all I cared. I downed whatever was in it. Thankful for the water. The game started up again and I realized it was my turn.

"Oh, uh, okay." I looked at Cordelia Chase.

"Truth or dare?" I asked her and she shrugs both of her shoulders.

"Dare." She says and I bit the inside of my cheek.

"Uh, okay, I dare you to . . . touch your tongue to your nose and if you can't then touch your tongue to the nose of the person on your left." I say and my sister giggled while Cordelia looked to Matt Crossman, who was right next to her as if she was about to throw up.

"Alright, alright, I see it's the quiet ones we have to look out for." She muttered, before trying to touch her tongue to her nose. She got it and she received a round of applause.

"So, Buffy, truth or dare?" She asks and my sister glances at me.

"She just went." Angel defended, his eyes narrowed on her. She ignored him.

"Yeah, I know. Truth or dare?" She asks and I shrug.

"Truth." I say and she leans back.

"If you could, would you fuck Angel?" She asks and everything fell silent. Okay, so this was a yes or no question. Taking a shot meant yes, but I'm not going to admit it and actually admitting it could potentially ruin my life. So, I lied.

"Nope." I shook my head, my face and voice blank. God, it scared me a bit at how good I've become at that. Everyone looked at me and Cordy's eyes went wide.

"Wow, okay." She giggled and glanced at Angel. His eyes were on the ground.

"Truth or dare, Angel?" I ask.

"Dare." He answers and I frowned, goddammit.

"I dare you to . . . kiss Reed." I say and laughter hit my ears. My sister clapped her hands and fell on her back in a midst of giggles. Reed frowned and glared at him. Angel was already removing his shirt. Whistles from the girls came at the sight of his bare chest. It was nicer than I would have guessed. Firm with a tight abdomen and firm, dusty pecs. He was designed by God and sculpted by Michelangelo. Absolute perfection.

I looked away. "Truth or dare, Dawn." Angel says and she shrugs.

"Dare." She grins, brightly.

"I dare you to . . ." He trails off and then his eyes land on me.

"Make Buffy laugh." He says and Cordelia glances at him while Dawn cocks an eyebrow. I frowned.

"She can't laugh." One guy says and he's ignored, unless you count the rude shushing he gets. I can't remember the last time I laughed. I usually stop myself or it just never happens. Dawn shrugged and wiggled her fingers at me. I gave her a questioning look and then realization dawned. Okay, now I remember the last time I laughed. I was ten and it was when Dawn tickled information out of me.

"No." I plead, slowly backing away and she grinned.

"Just take off your shirt. You have a pretty bra on." I remind her quickly, but she lunges and I'm barely standing when she yanks me down by the hips. Then her hands are at my sides and something snaps inside of me. A gasp of mirth escapes me before giggles as I fight against her rather talented hands. Then I was laughing and gasping and trying to push her away.

I grab Riley's shoulders and yank myself up, I was in his lap before I knew what was happening. I tried to gain my breath as I pointed at her grinning face. "No, bad girl. That was bad." I laugh and she grins, looking rather smug with herself.

I glanced at Riley. "Uh, sorry." I say, feeling the mirth drain from me. I looked at Angel and watched just as my smile falters, the light in his eyes leaves. I try not to read too much into that. I glanced at Riley, but he was grinning and shrugging.

"You can come on my lap anytime you need, honey." He says, winking and empty cups get thrown at him, while Cordelia oohs gently. I don't respond to him. The game continues and it's not until mostly everyone, but me is shirtless that my name is called on for the picking. Cordelia was watching me.

"Dare." I answer, not sure why. Perhaps it was the shot of tequila.

"I dare you to play seven minutes in heaven with . . ." She trailed off and then met my gaze.

"Angel." She says and Dawn looked up while Angel's gaze snaps to her in fury.

"That's kind of a dare for two people." I say, slowly.

"He doesn't mind." She assures me without breaking eye contact. I swallow.

"C'mon, Cordy, she's _my_ date." Riley says and Cordelia snorts.

"Right." She says, rolling her eyes back over to me.

"It's either that or you can lose the shirt. Either one is fine." She flashed me a smile. I didn't want to lose my shirt and I think she knew that. Hell, I didn't like standing in front of a class to describe a _project_. What on earth makes anyone think I could live sitting half naked in front of a group of my peers? Seven minutes in heaven, that's like, what? Locked in a closet. We could do that. I mean, they won't be watching so we don't have to do anything.

"Okay." I say, shrugging before standing.

"Holy shit." Someone mutters and I have a feeling it was Riley. Cordelia cocks an eyebrow.

"Wow, either you're wearing a see through bra or you've grown some balls." She smiled and Reed led us over to a closet. He locked and then shut it. Then after about a second, he banged on the door and told us our time started.

"Sorry." I whisper, glancing around in the darkness. I couldn't even see my own hand in front of my face.

"I just didn't want to take off my shirt and well, we don't have to do anything. Just seven minutes in a locked closet. In the dark, not scary at all." I mumble, glancing around at nothing. He doesn't respond.

"Uh, Angel?" I ask and I felt hands come to cup my cheeks. His body presses into mine, effectively ripping the air from my lungs. Not in a bad way, like in a really good way. I gasp, but he doesn't seem to notice or perhaps he doesn't care. He backs me into a wall and bends his knees, to grab the backs of my thighs.

"Angel, we really-." I was cut off, by him lifting me up and wrapping my legs around his hips. I gripped his neck and while I couldn't see anything, I knew we were eye level. I wet my lips and bit my bottom lip, hard. His thumb stroked along my jaw before finding my lips. He released my bottom lip from its cage between my teeth, before I felt something soft against my flesh.

His tongue ran along the outline of my lips. My eyes went wide at the feather light touch. We both pulled back and I kind of just stared at nothing.

"Dawn." I remind him and he rests his forehead against mine.

"Truth or dare." He whispered and I swallowed.


	6. Chapter 6

"Truth." I breathe.

"Do you honestly think my thoughts are on anyone other than you right now?" He asked and before I could answer, his mouth covered mine. I pushed up, almost on instinct and gripped the back of his neck for support. The kiss started off slow. A teasing of lips without any pressure. Then I caught his taste and like an addict I pushed forward, seeking more.

It was a bit minty and raw. Not truthfully sweet, but not bitter, either. Euphoric and intoxicating. It invaded my senses and everything else seemed to melt away except his hands on my cheeks and his lips against my own. I lost track of time as we moved in sync. Sometimes the kisses were chaste and other times we clawed at each other in a desperate yet futile attempt at getting closer.

I ran my hands through his hair. The silky, ash black strands slid through my fingers like water. His hands weren't shy, though and they traveled along my body anywhere he could touch. Heat glided along my skin, enflaming the cells underneath as if they were coming alive for his touch alone. His hands slipped under my tank top and when he touched bare skin, I gasped. A shudder rolled through me and I wiggled in an attempt to get closer.

He ran his lips along my jaw and stopped when he got to my ear. "I've wanted to do this since that party in in eighth grade." He says, kissing down my neck. My eyebrows rose and I hummed.

"Oh, you mean when I was twelve?" I asked and his body shook with laughter.

"Shut up." He muttered and lowered his mouth to mine again. I grinned and pulled back a centimeter before moving again. Before our tongues could touch, there was a bang on the door. I jumped out of my skin and Angel wrapped his arms around me, tightly.

"Time's up!" Reed called through and I glanced to the side. Time? Time? Shit! I shoved away from Angel and stumbled over to the door.

"Fuck." I clipped.

"Buffy?" Angel asked and I turned around, still not able to see him.

"We just – in a closet – on a fucking dare. My – shit – _Dawn_ is out there and we just . . . in a closet on a dare." I breathed, covering my mouth.

"God, how high school can we get?" I shoved out of the closet and effectively the room, before pushing through throngs of grinding, sweaty teenagers and out into the blessed night air. I was so hot that I tingled with flush. God only knows what my outer appearance looks like.

"Buffy!" Dawn calls from behind me and I stumbled over to the car. She shut the door before I could get in and we faced each other.

"Are you okay?" She asked, frantically.

"No! I just made-out with your ex-fucking-boyfriend!" I snap and her eyebrows rise, but then she smiles.

"Aw, that was your first kiss, right?" She squeals, bouncing in place. Was she being serious?

"Dawn, I just made out with Angel, your boyfriend of three years." I remind her and she shrugs, waving her hand.

"It's about time, too." She sighed and gripped my shoulders.

"You love him Buffy, he loves you. I don't understand why you two are dancing around each other. If it's me, forget it. I don't care. You have my blessing to fuck like bunnies. I'd actually like a niece before I'm twenty-five, though." She says and my eyes narrow. Was she _fucking_ serious?

"Take me home, Dawn." I mutter and get into the car. She tried to talk to me again, but I just completely shut her down. When we got home, I ignored my mom and Giles before running up to my room and locking the door. After crawling under the covers I decide that I'm never going to leave the confines of my room for as long as I life. Huh, I should be so lucky.

"Honey, you need to go to school. You've missed four days." My mom whined as she fell onto my bed. I didn't say anything.

"Please, just tell me what happened!" She exclaimed and I sat up before staring at her.

"I . . . am in love with Angel." I whisper.

"I know." She whispers and I stared at her.

"What?" I ask and she shrugs.

"I knew he loved you, that is. C'mon, honey, that boy didn't look at anyone the way he looks at you. Now, what happened? Did you sleep with him?" She asked and I just stared at her.

"No, we made-out pretty heavily in a closet on a dare of seven minutes in heaven. That name is spot on." I mutter and her lips twitch. She looks away, her eyes heavy with emotion.

"You love him." She smiles and I glare.

"I don't understand why you and Dawn aren't like coming at me with pitch forks. He's her _ex-boyfriend_." I snarl and her eyebrows rise.

"Yes, but they weren't exactly a happy, in-love couple." She chuckles. Her eyes soften at the sight of my blank stare.

"Buffy, c'mon, that boy looks at you like you hang the stars. Please, _please_ just go to school and talk to him." She pouts and I roll my eyes, but the sound of the doorbell broke our conversation.

"I'll be right back." She says and I climb back under my blankets. It took a little while before I heard my door again.

"I'm not going, I've changed my mind! Go to work!" I call through my blankets and turn onto my stomach. I sighed and felt my bed dip.

"Mother! Seriously, me, talking with Angel isn't going to change anything, so please just drop it! I'm embarrassed enough. I mean I never in a million years thought I would let a guy touch me like that and it was amazing, I may have gone through space and time for a bit, but it was a onetime thing. He can't love someone like me." I sigh, rubbing my eyes.

I realize that it's really hot under this blanket, so I sat up and came nose to nose with Angel. I cry out and jump back. "Motherfucker!" I screamed at him and his eyebrow cocked.

"You, want to know what really bothers me?" He asks and I glance around. Why was he in my room? Where is my mother?

"What?" I ask, glancing down realizing that I was braless and in a white tank top. I whimper and yank my sheet up. Angel doesn't even blink. God.

"Okay, Angel, you tell me what bothers you after I put pants on and a bra, perhaps." I say, nodding. He ignored me.

"Why do you think you know what I want? I've wanted you since the moment I met you. You were always so fucking quiet, Buffy. You didn't laugh, you didn't talk, you completely ignored everything around you, but that's still not what drew me in." He says and I glance to the side.

"Then what?" I ask.

"Do you remember why you missed the bus that day in third grade?" He asked and I blinked at him.

"No." I say, shrugging.

"You gave your PB&J sandwich to a homeless man. Then you sat for fifteen minutes and let him talk to you about his dead wife. I missed the bus because I stayed back and watched you, just to make sure you're were okay. Buffy the man looked like death and you sat for fifteen minutes, giving him your full wide-eyed innocent attention over a person you didn't know, who may not have even existed. How could I not fall in love with that? With _you_?" He asked and I pulled my bottom lip into my mouth.

"We were, like, eight." I breathe and he shrugs, watching me.

"I love you. Why don't you believe me?" He asked and I squint at him.

"Maybe it was the three years you spent as my sister's boyfriend. Or maybe it's the fact that I'm far too dirty for anything to love. Tolerate, sure. Like, okay. Attracted to, fuck yeah. But _love_ , no." I whisper shaking my head, exasperated.

"Buffy-." I cut him off.

"You don't know what happen-." He cut me off.

"Your dad." He says and I froze, blinking at him.

"Yeah I know. I've known since I was thirteen." He says and I stared at him, my body tenser than it had ever been. He looked away before meeting my gaze.

"Your panic attack. I told you that you didn't say anything, but I lied. You asked him to stop. You said he wouldn't stop. It didn't take a genius to realize what you meant. Your face, I couldn't . . . I couldn't tell you that you'd admitted to what he did. You were so relieved when I told you that you hadn't said anything." He shrugs and I stared, stunned.

"I don't want your pity." I say, pushing from my bed. No longer caring about the thin tank top or high waisted black panties. I just needed to find pants and get out of here.

"I don't pity you, Buffy." He says and I met his gaze, freezing with my jeans clutched in my hands.

"Sure, I pity the eight year old little girl who lost her innocence, but I don't pity you. You're magnificent. Stronger than you know and it's . . . extraordinary. I don't think you understand just how _strong_ you are. Others that go through the shit life threw at you wouldn't be able to handle it. You kept breathing. You fought back. Life kicked you on your fucking ass and you fought back. You're not pitying. You're inspirational." He wasn't lying. The son of a bitch was actually being sincere.

I swallowed, hard and tried not to let those words get to me. But they were like my biggest fantasy come to life. C'mon, who truthfully thinks that could ever happen to them? I sure as hell never did. I should probably say something, right? Well, give me a second because my vocal cords are currently failing me.

Angel slowly stood up, his hands up in a way that was pleading for defense. "I love you, Buffy Anne Summers. And I'm never, ever going to let you think otherwise again." He promises and I clutch my jeans to my chest while shifting my weight.

"Ask me." I whisper and his eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"Ask you what?" His voice was soft, as if he were afraid raising it would scare me away. He was probably right in that aspect.

"Ask me what you asked Dawn at the start of freshman year." I clarify and he cocks his head to the side. His mouth quirks up and I wet my lips.

"You wanna go out with me, Summers?" He asks and my lips twitch.

"No." I say, cocking an eyebrow and turning to face my closet.

"No?" He asked, mockingly devastated. I bit my bottom lip and swallowed past the lump in my throat. I blinked away tears of utter joy before glancing back at him. His gaze softened.

"Go out with me, Buffy." He says and my heart lurched into my throat.

"Fine." I say, tossing my jeans to the side.

"Yeah?" He asked, grinning slowly and I nod.

"Sure." I shrug absentmindedly.

"Where would we go?" I ask, suddenly becoming anxious. His hands came up like he sensed by discomfort.

"Let me handle that." he snapped his fingers and nodded.

"Just be ready by seven tonight, okay?" He asks and I bite the inside of my cheek before nodding, slowly.

"Okay." I agree.

"What do I wear?" I ask and he shrugs.

"Anything you want." He kisses my cheek and I turn my head, capturing his mouth with mine. I pull back within a second, feeling my cheeks enflame with red heat. He shook his head and cupped the side of my head before wrapping an arm around my waist and turning, dipping me before covering his mouth with mine. I giggle into him and he grins.

I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him harder. The kiss was brief, but there was an underlying layer of passion that felt boiling in its intensity. He straightens us, pecks my lips, and then disappears from my room.

"Seven!" He calls over his shoulder in reminder and I smile, resting my forehead against the wall. I release a tiny squeal before bouncing around my room like a crazed teenage girl.


End file.
